NFL Should Take a Page from MLB When It Comes to Umpire Safety

August 28, 2010   ·   Paul Augustin, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

Major League Baseball and its umpiring crews have received their share of criticism over the years. Close plays at the plate, inconsistent strike zones, and rapid-fire ejections are scrutinized on a nightly basis. History may never let us forget Jim Joyce's missed call at first base to rob Detroit's Armando Galarraga of a perfect game.
For all its faults, MLB has one thing right: the positioning and protection of its umpires.
There is potential for any of the four umpires to get hurt or in the way during the course of a baseball game, but the home plate umpire is particularly vulnerable.
It is at the plate where the most violent acts happen—100 mph pitches, aggressive swings of a wooden bat, foul tips, and base-running collisions all occur within inches of the home plate umpire.
Home plate umpires wear a face mask, a chest protector, and leg guards to protect themselves.
Imagine if Commissioner Bud Selig decided to move the umpire from behind the plate to...

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